Ä Area: UFO ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Msg#: 14651 Date: 06-02-96 11:16
From: Don Allen Read: Yes Replied: No
To: All Mark:
Subj: 02:CNI News 5/30/96 [02/0
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
CNI News will continue to follow this developing story.
========================================================
2) NAVAJO DEITIES REPORTEDLY SEEN - THOUSANDS VISIT SITE
Bring Warnings of Danger Ahead, Say Witnesses
[This article ran May 28 in the Arizona Republic newspaper, written by Bill
Donovan.]
WINDOW ROCK - Thousands of Navajo pilgrims have traveled to the small outpost
of Rocky Ridge in the past few weeks, drawn by what a 96-year-old woman and
her daughter saw outside their hogan.
On the morning of May 3, Irene Yazzie, who had not spoken for several months
because of a stroke, turned to her daughter and said someone was coming to
their home near Big Mountain, north of Flagstaff. About noon, the two heard a
loud noise outside, followed by a knocking. They opened the door to see two
tall, elderly Navajo men.
One told them not to be afraid, that they were two of the more than 100
Navajo deities, who assist in all aspects of Navajo life. They had appeared
before Yazzie and her daughter, Sarah Begay, to ask why the deities no longer
are receiving prayers from the people.
They warned that if the Navajos continue to forsake tribal traditions, they
face grave danger in the future, and Navajo deities would not be able to
help. The men vanished seconds later, leaving only footprints and a
sprinkling of corn pollen, which traditional Navajos scatter during prayer.
Since the story began circulating, the wind has swept away the pollen and
nearly obliterated the footprints.
But thousands of Navajos have visited the Begay home each day, leaving corn
pollen, saying prayers and wanting to see what traditionalists say is the
third visit by Navajo deities to their people this century.
A former historian for the tribe said his research revealed that deities
appeared in the 1930s and 1950s. In each case, the deity appeared to elderly
Navajo women during a time of drought.
"We heard stories for several days about the visit," said Irene Atcitty, who
was with a group of 20 Shiprock, N.M.-area residents who recently traveled
the more than 200 miles to visit the site. "I felt my family needed to see
firsthand what this was all about."
When her group arrived at the Begay family's cluster of hogans, Atcitty said,
about 30 other Navajos were already there. Some had traveled from as far away
as San Diego to bring sacred objects as tribute to the deities.
Begay could not be reached for comment. Yazzie has not spoken since the
deities appeared.
"We were told that Sarah has told the story of the visits so many times that
she lost her voice," Atcitty said.
Leaders of the community of Hard Rocks, which is the closest settlement of
any notable size, have gotten so many inquiries about how to find the site
that they have printed a map for Navajos.
Lorenzo Yazzie, vice president of the community and not related to Irene
Yazzie, said that at the request of the family, some restrictions have been
set, including a ban on cameras and video recorders. The family also has
requested that non-Indians not be allowed at the site, he said.
A number of Navajo tribal leaders have visited the place, including President
Albert Hale. In a memo, he urged the government's 5,000 Navajo employees to
visit the site and gave them four hours off anytime last week to do so.
"This is a significant event to Navajo people everywhere," his memo said.
Annette Brown, public-information officer for the Navajo Nation, said her
office has received calls from off-reservation television stations and
newspapers asking for more information. But at the request of the Begays,
Hale will release nothing further.
The "Navajo Times," the tribe's weekly newspaper, is holding off printing a
story about the visit of the deities until the Begay family approves its
release and ceremonies are conducted at the home.
"That's where native publications differ from those in the mainstream,"
editor Tom Arviso said. "We are not going to print the story just because we
want to sell a lot of newspapers."
Navajo officials said the Begay family and neighbors have expressed concern
about security because of all the traffic into the area at all hours.
It is hard for the Navajos to provide security, however, because the Begay
hogans are within lands partitioned to the Hopi Tribe in 1974 as part of an
effort to resolve a century-old land dispute.
___ Psplit * 2.02 * Split/Post Processor! [Continued to 03/04]
-!- FMail/386 1.02
! Origin: * A UFO..what's that? Fidonet UFO Moderator * (1:3618/2)
Ä Area: UFO ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Msg#: 14652 Date: 06-02-96 11:16
From: Don Allen Read: Yes Replied: No
To: All Mark:
Subj: 03:CNI News 5/30/96 [03/0
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Ferrell Secakuku, chairman of the Hopis, visited the site and heard the story
from members of Begay's family.
A tribal spokesman said Secakuku discussed providing security at the site,
but family members indicated they wanted to wait until the ceremonies are
conducted.
Ruth Roessel, who teaches Navajo culture on the reservation, said the story
of the deities' visit may inspire more Navajos to observe traditions, which
many Navajos have abandoned over the past 20 years.
"This may wake some people up," Roessel said.
========================================================
3) CONTROVERSY DOGS NBC'S "MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS OF MAN"
Academics Want TV Special Banned From Airwaves
[NBC issued the following press release on May 29 concerning their
controversial special, which will be rebroadcast on June 8.]
NBC's "The Mysterious Origins of Man" sparked heated controversy within the
academic community when originally broadcast February 25, 1996, and will be
rebroadcast on Saturday, June 8 (8-9 p.m. ET). Professors of science and
anthropology from some of the nation's most prestigious colleges and
universities voiced strong opinions about some of the theories in the
special, which challenged long-accepted beliefs about man's beginnings.
The program presented startling evidence suggesting man may have made the
climb from Stone Age to civilization more than once; that present-day man is
just the latest in this cycle, and that Darwin's Theory of Evolution has
serious flaws.
"Our goal was simply to present the public with evidence which suggests an
alternative view to some of our most accepted theories," said producer Bill
Cote. "We questioned fundamental issues that they (some scientists) felt
should not be questioned. The bottom line is, the world is bigger than
scientists can explain, and some of them want us to believe they can explain
everything.
"We expected some controversy when we produced this show," Cote continued,
"but no one was prepared for the enormous cry of outrage from members of the
scientific community."
Hundreds of messages jammed Cote's special online website
(http:www.bcvideo.com/bcvideo) following the program, and activity continues
on several sites dedicated to the program. "While many viewers, including
some scientists, praised the production as 'a great accomplishment and
contributing to public education,'" says Cote, "many scientists expressed
outrage and criticism."
[CNI News editor Michael Lindemann comments: I saw the program the first time
it aired. It is excellent and should be seen. The information presented in
this program does not add up to a clear picture of "what really happened,"
but does impressively challenge conventional wisdom. The academic reaction is
sadly predictable and bears an almost absurd similarity to the orginal
vehement reaction against Darwin -- whose theory is now considered sacrosanct
by those most opposed to NBC's program. But the best paleontologists in the
business, including the telegenic Steven J. Gould, have openly admitted to
glaring problems with Darwin's theory. Only small minds (alas, how many there
are!) are unwilling to give these new ideas a fair hearing. And when the
evidence is presented, it is remarkable -- and yes, it may upset the status
quo. So be it.]
========================================================
4) HOUSE VOTES TO KEEP INTELLIGENCE BUDGET SECRET
[This story was published in ACLU News on May 23.]
In a blow to open government, the House of Representatives has rejected a
move by the Clinton Administration to -- for the first time -- make public
the overall national intelligence budget, The Washington Post reported on May
23.
The rejection came on a vote of 248 to 176 on an amendment to a bill that
would fund the CIA and 11 other, mostly Pentagon-based, intelligence
agencies.
The ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] had supported the amendment, saying
that "taxpayers have a right to know what their tax dollars support."
But the Post said that House Intelligence Chairman Larry Combest, R-TX,
opposed disclosure in committee and led the opposition on the floor
yesterday. He said making the overall figure public inevitably would lead to
disclosure of individual intelligence accounts, which, he said, could harm
clandestine sources and methods.
ACLU Legislative Counsel Gregory T. Nojeim disagreed. "Disclosure of the
bottom-line figure is the absolute minimum that Congress should do to make
___ Psplit * 2.02 * Split/Post Processor! [Continued to 04/04]
-!- FMail/386 1.02
! Origin: * A UFO..what's that? Fidonet UFO Moderator * (1:3618/2)